Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, This weekend, we celebrate the second Scrutiny for those catechumens and candidates preparing to receive the sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil. These rites of continuing conversion, as I said last week, are celebrated publicly as a reminder that we, those already initiated in the mysteries of the Catholic faith, are also called to continue on the path of conversion. The Gospels read with each Scrutiny remind us of some aspect of this call. Last week, we heard about the Samaritan woman at the well. Today we reflect on the Gospel story of…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, On the third, fourth, and fifth Sundays of Lent, the Church celebrates the Scrutinies. These unique rites seek God’s blessing and graces for those who are to be received into the Church at the Easter Vigil. Our catechumens and candidates will participate in this rite at the 11 AM Mass these next three Sundays, and I ask you to keep them in your prayers as they draw closer to receiving the powerful graces God has in store for them in the Easter sacraments. The Gospels read at Mass for the next three weeks reflect…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As we begin the second week of the holy season of Lent, we might pause and notice some of the ways that the nature of the season is reflected back to us in and through the Church’s liturgy. Since Lent is a penitential season, the liturgy is meant to take on a more somber character. This is expressed in the decoration of the sanctuary, in the words spoken or not spoken, in the vestments worn, and in the music employed in the worship of God. Last week, we reflected on the experience of Jesus…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel,” we were told on Ash Wednesday. This is a call to conversion, but not to a one-time conversion. Rather, this is the constant, ongoing conversion that leads us to life in Christ. To repent of sin is straightforward enough: say you’re sorry and stop doing the bad thing. But we know from experience that saying sorry is much easier than not doing the bad thing again. Stopping the sin can feel unsettling. Think of a teenager learning to drive. At first, their foot is heavy on the brake,…read more